A Happy Home is Filled with Love and Laughter

Progress

Beej & Chris

I went to the doctors today for my 37 week appointment and wasn't expecting to have an internal exam since I had one last week- but after the doctor asked me about contractions and I told her I had several yesterday, she wanted to see how my progress was.
I told her that if I was still dilated to a 1 and had no change that she either needed to lie to me and tell me that I was dilated to a 3 and then look at BJ and tell him what I really was, or she just needed to smile at me and walk away. Because I would just be disappointed if all of those contractions didn't make any change.
Well, I am happy to report that the contractions were doing something! I am now dilated to a 2+, 50% effaced and at a -2 station. Whoop Whoop!

Potato Bug

Beej & Chris

This morning I got my stuff ready to go meet with my new partner for Cub Scouts and was leaning down to put something into the stroller when RRRRIIIIIIIIPPPPPPP. Yep- I ripped my maternity pants! How sad is that?!? I then ran in and quickly changed my pants and headed back outside with Kaylee to go to the meeting. The meeting was utter chaos with kids running around while taking advantage of their mom being busy and disobeying everything she was telling them. During all the chaos one of the little girls comes running towards me yelling "she ate it! Kaylee is eating my potato bug!". I still don't know how I held it together enough to swipe that nasty thing out of Kaylee's mouth, but I did. And all I have to say is now Kaylee can check off eating dirt and a bug off of her to do list ;) Needless to say, after 2 1/2 hours of this meeting and Kaylee and I were finally on our way home, I think we were both excited for nap time!

BJ Tenney turns 26!!!

Beej & Chris

Happy Birthday BJ!

I LOVE birthdays and usually go all out for them, but BJ is totally different and likes low-key quiet birthdays. I finally listened to him this year and let him do whatever he wanted for his birthday. I woke up and spend some time with him in the morning and offered to make him breakfast but he only wanted yogurt and took it with him to work. While he was at work I marinated the steaks we got from my parents house and made him my first attempt at a pecan pie.

BJ came home and we headed outside to cook our yummy steaks while the baked potatoes were cooking in the oven. We just sat outside and talked. It was really nice and relaxing. BJ spoiled Kaylee and let her sit on his lap for dinner. She sure LOVES her daddy! Dinner was a success!

After dinner we turned on one of BJ's favorite TV shows "America's got talent" while he flipped back and forth from that to the NBA finals. We had some good laughs watching TV and at a commercial I convinced BJ to let Kaylee and I sing to him the traditional "Happy Birthday" song while he blew out the single candle in his pecan pie.

I LOVE that smile! BJ has the biggest smile and uses it all the time. He is a very positive person and smiles all day long..I love it!

BJ showing Kaylee the pecan pie

I am not a huge fan of pecan pie, so BJ gets it all to himself. I never ended up trying it, but BJ assures me that it turned out good. Yay! First attempt at making a pecan pie= success.

Kaylee and I made BJ a homemade card but didn't buy him any presents because he had already ordered what he wanted online (a water filter). He also bought a few tools for the grill that he was able to use while he cooked the steaks.

It was sooo hard for me not to go buy BJ a present or make a big deal on his birthday, but I think he ended up having a really good day. I love you BJ! Happy Birthday!!!

3 weeks left...am I ready?!?

Beej & Chris

Last week started my weekly doctors appointments, signaling that we are almost ready to have this baby. I have just over 3 weeks left till my due date. I have days where I feel braxton hicks contractions or am just feeling uncomfortable and am just ready to not be pregnant anymore, but even then I dont feel ready to have the baby...just ready to not be pregnant again. I have finally come to the conclusion that I dont think I will ever be ready to have this baby. Going from one child to two is just a lot to comprehend and something that you cant really prepare for. And I know it will be the same for the subsequent pregnancies after this one. Kaylee keeps us so busy that as much as I know we are supposed to have this baby boy- I just dont think you ever feel ready for it after the first baby.

At my last doctors appointment at 36 weeks (just under a week ago) I was dilated to a 1 with no effacement, but the head is down. I am glad I was at least dilated, but looking back to my 36 week doctor's appointment with Kaylee and the fact that I was dilated to a 2, 80% effaced and at a -2 station.....dilated to a 1 seems like nothing. But like I said above, I am content right now waiting for a bit before having the baby. I still feel like I have a ton to do to prepare! Honestly the hardest days are when I am feeling those stinkin braxton hicks contractions, because then labor is the only thing on my mind and all I wanna do is have this baby.
Ha ha, don't you love how I go back and forth about being ready to have this baby. One minute I am crying to BJ saying "I am not ready", and the next I am saying how uncomfortable I am and that all I wanna do is go into labor. Dont ya just love the last 4 weeks of pregnancy ladies :)

Kaylee is 15 months old!

Beej & Chris

Here is Kaylee's stats from her 15 month wellness check

Height:31 3/4 inches long 92%

Weight:22 lbs 14 ounces 55%

Head: 18 1/2 inches 75%

Kaylee is tall and skinny and has the cutest personality.

This is Kaylee's new favorite place to hang out. She has figured out how to get onto the kitchen chairs and has fallen off a few times with just one bruise to show for it so far. So we put the chairs under the table so she can't get to them. ha ha- Kaylee quickly discovered that she can get onto the chairs while they are under the table, the only hard part is getting off of them. She will lay across the chairs and then yell for help to get off.

Kaylee running around having fun

Kaylee has never liked wearing bows but she sure does love wearing hats!

Kaylee is very creative and likes to play pretend. Here she is with the oven glove, whisk, and Tupperware cooking up something yummy for daddy.

Kaylee is just growing up so fast and is getting to be a lot of fun. She will answer yes or no to any question and seems to generally understand what you are talking about. Kaylee is a very smart girl and still LOVES playing with Lego's. She will sit and build towers for a good hour by herself.

She is also a pretty picky eater and would love it if we were to heat up her milk every time we give it to her. But to prevent melt downs at places where we are unable to heat up her milk- she only gets her milk warmed up before nap time and before she goes to bed. She just loves her warm milk.

Kaylee also really loves to read books and will point at them and say "book...book". When she goes down to bed I will put a book into her crib and she will read her book to her favorite bear while she listens to primary music until she falls asleep.

Kaylee is also very tender hearted. Last night I was really tired and kind of emotional and Kaylee just came up to me, put her hand on my shoulder and put her face in my face and raised her eyebrow as if she is asking me "are you ok mom?". She then just gave me multiple hugs and kisses. It totally made my night.

Memorial Weekend

Beej & Chris

The Saturday of memorial weekend is usually spent in Lava Hot Springs for the annual Kofoed reunion. This is my great grandma Byingtons family. Not many people can say that they knew their great grandma, but I can! My mom and dad would take us to go visit her and my great grandpa on Sundays. They were a funny couple and I have some fun memories of them that I will always remember.

Kaylee and her cousin Desiree

Kaylee, Desiree and her Grandpa Scott

We attempted to put Kaylee down for a nap while BJ and I went over to the tennis courts to play a few rounds. My parents listened for Kaylee and apparently she never went to sleep and just decided to sit in the play pen and play. Kaylee is like me and sometimes just wants some quiet time for herself. She is such a good girl.

Tennis was a lot of fun! BJ beat me both games, but they were both really close games. And hey- I am 36 1/2 weeks pregnant! Give me some credit ;)

After the reunion is over we (the kids) head over to the pool while my parents go to the graves in Lava. No I wasn't trying to go into labor with playing tennis and then going swimming. Swimming is actually pretty amazing while you are pregnant. My belly is soo light in the pool. It is actually a not so fun reality as I step out of the pool and feel the actual weight of my belly, but it is still so worth it. And can I just say, it is the weirdest feeling having the baby kick while I am swimming. ha ha

Can you find BJ?! It is always hard to take pictures while swimming- since the camera isn't water proof or anything cool like that. But here is proof he was there. BJ went down the "scary" slides and even convinced my little brother (Nathan) to go down with him. BJ then went with Nate and his friend to the hot pools while Kaylee and I got into my parents car and headed to my grandma and grandpa Scott's house in Idaho.

Kaylee kept walking up to this table in my grandparents house so she could smell the fake flowers.

Kaylee really enjoyed playing Lego's with her great grandpa Scott.

Sunday we celebrated my sister Angela's daughter's 1st birthday party at my parents house and had a fun time. BJ convinced my brother Nate to stay the night at our house and run the 5k with him on Monday morning.

So come Monday morning at 7 am, BJ and Nate headed out in the rain and hail to run in the 5 k held by Woods Cross city. They both did a great job and even got free breakfast from it. Kaylee and I joined BJ and Nate at the park for breakfast at around 8 am after Kaylee woke up and I got her all bundled up and ready to go.

Kaylee enjoying her pancakes and milk

I really enjoy memorial weekend and spending that time remembering lost loved ones and enjoying the freedom we have in this Country from all of the hard working military workers, and even more than that- just spending time with family and the loved ones we have here with us now.

Artichokes

Beej & Chris

One of my favorite meals as a child was when we would sit on the floor with a bowl of Miracle Whip and each had our own artichoke to eat. YUMMMMY! We didn't do it very often because artichokes don't go on sale very often and tend to be an expensive meal for a family of 6, so when we had it- it was always a treat.

Well a few weeks ago when we picked up our bountiful basket, we were pleasantly surprised to find 3 artichokes with our vegetables.

*** Side note- for those of you that haven't hard of "bountiful basket" and wanna hear more about it I would be more than happy to pass on the info. It is amazing. You pay $15 and get a crazy amount of fruits and vegetables. Some people sign up every week, some people share their basket, and some sign up every other week (that is us :D ). Along with our artichokes we got the following in our basket (this is what I can remember anyway):

* 6 tomatoes

* Pineapple

* Cantaloupe

* Romaine lettuce

* tray of blueberries

* bag of apples

* 3 onions

* 6 or so corn on the cob

* 3 Mango's

* a few yellow squash

* 2 or 3 cucumbers

BUT back to the artichokes. BJ had only had artichokes on pizza before we were married. So I gladly taught him the fun of eating artichokes leaf by leaf with Miracle Whip, so this was the second time BJ had it but the first time for Kaylee and can I just say SHE LOVED THEM!!!!

For those that don't know the goodness of eating an artichoke leaf by leaf...let me give you the "411" on how to go about doing it at home :)

Step 1: Clean artichokes and clip of the thorn tips on each leaf. Boil artichokes for 20-40 minutes depending on the size of the artichoke. You will know it is done when you can pull off the bottom leaf and it detaches easily.

Step 2: Dip the white end of the artichoke leaf into either melted butter or miracle whip (I like miracle whip). Tightly grip the other end of the petal. Place in mouth, dip side down, and pull through teeth to remove soft, pulpy, delicious portion of the petal. Discard remaining petal.

Continue to eat the artichoke leaf by leaf until you get to the artichoke heart (the best part!)